Advice on possible 232d purchase

Great boat; I own a 2007.

I will let the more knowledgeable people than myself advise you on potential problem areas with the hull and accessories.

I can say that if it is economically feasible to repair the blown powerhead, you will have the absolute perfect power for that hull. I have twin 200 four-strokes and I love it. (2.0 to 2.1 at cruise,(37-3900 RPM 30-31MPH) Your HDPI's will likely match or better those numbers, plus being they're 2-strokes, you'll have more low-end torque, translating to easy planing. As an added bonus, I have heard more than one party say they are the best engines Yamaha ever made. I would certainly explore the option of repair.

Keep in mind, I like 2 strokes; I don't care about the smoke, and they take me back to my youthful boating days before life got serious..

If you stay on Lake Michigan and out of salt water, you'll likely have 10 good years or more out of that rig.

I can highly recommend the Gulfstream. I started with the 228 Seafarer, then went to the 268 Islander, and now have a 2002 Gulstream with twin Honda 130s. I think it is the best riding boat of the 3. I can go 40 miles offshore or fish in the bay. I love the versatility and the size of the cockpit is great for fishing.

The Gulfstream is a great boat (admittedly, I'm biased) and I agree that twin 200 power is ideal. Docking can certainly be a challenge with a single.

With a Gulfstream at that age be prepared to replace the thru-hulls at the waterline if they were using plastic parts in 2000 like they did in the 90's. I replaced mine with bronze and it wasn't too hard to access everything you need from the inside. The scars have long healed. Also, the wiring on these boats is all non-tinned copper so any electrical gremlins can usually be cured with a couple spools of tinned wire and heat-shrink crimp connectors. Replace your bilge pump hoses if they are original to the boat, even if they look sound. Check the scupper drain hoses for cracking and replace your fuel lines if original. The condition of the fuel tanks is best done by removing the center hatches.

Check the transom for any movement or weepage from the bracket bolts inside the hull - they are usually quite solid. The powder coating on the bracket might start showing signs of corrosion by now but that is easily addressed with a wire brush and some epoxy paint. Pop the hatch and verify that the bracket is dry.

Also note the hull sides above the water line is balsa-cored so knock test it all over to look for delamination from water intrusion.

Good luck!